Results 4,041-4,060 of 16,492 for speaker:Ciarán Lynch

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Without mentioning specific charitable organisations, some could have significant governance issues as regards their funding. For example, some NGOs that operate in developing countries receive significant funding from the State. Their accountancy and governance structures will be subject to freedom of information requests.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I will address two other agencies. I am trying to manage my time. It seems that the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, the National Treasury Management Agency, NTMA, the National Pensions Reserve Fund, NPRF, and the National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, will also fall within the scope of freedom of information requests. When the NAMA legislation was passed, it was almost...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: The Garda will also be required to provide more detailed information under the Freedom of Information Act. Obviously, there are issues of security and sensitivity regarding investigations and matters that are before the court. Recently, an issue arose in terms of the Garda quashing penalty points. As the Minister views this legislation, would that type of information be accessible? Could...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I will bring in Deputy Donnelly again later.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: If the Deputy reiterates something, he is using his time to say something that has been said already.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Indeed, but I will tell Deputy Dara Murphy when his time is up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Sometimes the Minister would like to know what is in the note.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I would like the Minister to clarify something before we move on. Are semi-state bodies included under this legislation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Therefore, the Dublin Airport Authority, the ESB, Bord Gáis and Iarnród Éireann are excluded.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: The Oireachtas committee that examined this matter quite extensively recommended that Irish Water should be subject to the Freedom of Information Acts. That was one of the committee's 141 recommendations. Is it proposed that Irish Water will be exempt as well?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I ask the Minister to be brief because I must call Deputy Harris.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I must ask the Minister to be as brief as possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: While members of the former Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Sean Fleming and I are aware that it is virtually impossible to bring officials of the National Roads Authority before an Oireachtas committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: In my experience, the National Roads Authority resists efforts to have it appear before the Committees on Transport and Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. I am sure Deputy Fleming will agree. The Minister should be mindful that the NRA is not subject to freedom of information inquires and is also extraordinary resistant to coming before Oireachtas committees. HomeBond has also refused...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I remind the Minister and the Deputy that we have to broadcast at 4 p.m.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I call the Minister for a final reply.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I thank the Minister for briefing us. The committee intends to invite submissions and presentations from interested parties, which we hope will assist us in making proposals and a report to him. I propose that the meeting be suspended for 15 minutes, after which we will commence our discussion with Mr. Algirdas Šemeta, European Commissioner with responsibility for taxation, customs...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Taxation Policy: Discussion with EU Commissioner (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I thank Mr. Algirdas Šemeta, European Commissioner with responsibility for taxation, customs union, anti-fraud, audit and statistics, for attending this meeting of the committee. He is accompanied by Mr. Valère Moutarlier, member of the Commissioner's Cabinet; Ms. Emer Traynor, spokesperson for the Commissioner; and Ms. Eimear Ní Bhroin of the European Commission...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Taxation Policy: Discussion with EU Commissioner (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I thank the Commissioner. He is probably aware that the House of Commons in Britain recently carried out an extensive examination of international companies' tax obligations within the United Kingdom. What are his observations on this? Is the Commission considering what might be called life-cycle taxes based on a product's full carbon footprint, including in the manufacturing process?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Taxation Policy: Discussion with EU Commissioner (10 Jan 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: No more things. I call the Commissioner and I will bring him up if he does not get through his response in time.